Hello, my name is Tom Austin and I'm the founder and CEO of Secret Street Tours - a Nonprofit social enterprise that trains those affected by homelessness to become walking tour guides of their neighbourhoods. Empowering them with the skills and confidence to share their story.
I started this journey back in 2018 with Pierce Dargan on the backdrop of a growing homelessness crisis in Dublin. Our aim was to give a voice to the homeless, a group who are ignored daily, even when discussing the very topic of which they are the subject. We also wanted to provide a channel for the public to engage with the complex issues surrounding homelessness and to challenge stereotypes. We've since welcomed over 1000 engaged customers on our tours, are rated in the top 20 tours of Dublin, have received national and international press coverage and most importantly have seen some truly incredible transformations in our guides' confidence and skills.
As you can imagine, COVID-19 has been a big challenge for Dublin’s Homeless Community and for Secret Street Tours. We've recently pivoted to providing digital tours which have empowered our guides to share their stories with global audiences - allowing you to stay connected to the issue of homelessness, whilst we have to stay apart. Check out the video below for further details.
We'd certainly love to welcome you on a Secret Street Tour either virtually or in person. Please connect if you'd like to join us on a tour or help us expand our reach to international audiences.
* I'm also a Salesforce Certified Application Architect with over 5 years of experience helping nonprofits with digital transformation in areas such as fundraising, program management, volunteering and impact measurement.
You have an amazing program Tom!
Amazing how your social enterprise pivoted to providing digital tours which have empowered your guides to share their stories with global audiences! Welcome to the Forum @Tom!! 👟 👟
Welcome to the Forum, Tom :)